The benefits--does anyone actually manage to negotiate benefits? I mean, vacation days, that sort of thing? It's usually a pretty standard "this is what we do, you get X days" thing, no?

I think that if they have a graduated program (e.g., you get 2 weeks the first year, 3 weeks the next) etc., you can sometimes say you want credit for coming in with experience.

You can definitely negotiate one time expenses like the moving package.

I don't remember how many colleges to which I applied. Four? Six? Got me.

I seem to remember this same advice in 1985. I applied to 3ish...don't really remember. I got in where I wanted and only lasted about 3 months. Ah well.

Ten years later, they doubled it. Two long-shots, two average, two safeties.

Congrats on the job offer, meara! Too bad it's not for here, though.

Congrats on the job offer, meara. If you're at the low end of the scale that means you've got room to move up when it comes to raises.

More money NOW, of course, is better.

Juliana, I kind of love your hair exactly as it is now. However the solution to helmet hair is not to grow it longer, but clearly to cut it shorter.

I applied to four schools and got into three.

I graduated in 88 and applied to 3 schools (U of So. Carolina, U of GA, and GA Southern). I got into USC and GA Southern.

I graduate in '93, applied to 6 colleges/universities, got in to all of them, and went to the small private Lutheran college that offered me a half-ride plus room and board. The other schools either didn't offer any ride or didn't have housing for me (it's okay, I would have been miserable in AZ). My only requirement when applying was 1) good liberal-arts education and b) kick-ass theater program.

Still would have like to go to Occidental, but eh. Money trumped.

In '84-'85, I applied early to 1, got in, and my inherent laziness kicked in.

But I think the standard was that you applied where you really wanted to go early, and then had a few back-ups just in case. It couldn't have been too many because acceptances were announced at lunch in front of the whole school.

I think most people I knew (graduated HS in 95) applied to less than ten, but five or more. Unless they were doing early decision.

If you're at the low end of the scale that means you've got room to move up when it comes to raises.

Mmm, but I find that usually I'm not getting huge "oh, you do this job so well here's a 10% raise!" kind of raises. More yearly 3% cost of living type things. Maybe up to 5%. And I figure if I start higher (would still be in the middle of the range), those 5% are more!!

Just got a call from the contract recruiter there, who has been bizarre and somewhat incompetent through the whole process, and put the bug in his ear that I'd like more, so we'll see. Will likely still have to do the negotiating, but they wouldn't be surprised, then!

Susan, is it true there's no state income tax? Do you end up paying awfully in other parts of life to make up for that, or what?

It couldn't have been too many because acceptances were announced at lunch in front of the whole school.

How did the school know who got accepted where? Were they just passing on the info that they got from the students? Because that would be a huge invasion of privacy if they were just announcing them willy-nilly.

Meara-- you can ask for an extra week's vacation. It happens all the time. You can also ask for moving help--but make it specific. Ask for an amount for a reason--like hotel while you apaprtment hunt or something.

ION, the Chicago Tribune has a long article about traveling in Nova Scotia--I wanna go back there now! (I was only there once, when I was 16, as part of our New England trip.)